Pushing Burdens
by Nietzchian
Summary: A small alternate story to my main story, "Emperor of Zero". Don't bother actually reading it unless you've read up to Chapter 32. Thanks. One-shot.


This was a small alternate history which I got inspired to write after finishing Chapter 32 of Emperor of Zero. Nothing fancy, but I hope you enjoy it. Thanks.

...

No.

She couldn't do it, Louise thought, as she stared at Fouquet. The thief deserved to die. She had to die in return for everything she did to the Academy. Osmond had been fired. Malicorne had been subjected to a fate worse than death. And she couldn't forget Montmorency's sobbing face as the girl had cried in her arms the night she had returned to the Academy.

But she couldn't muster the spell. This was different. She had killed so many at La Rochelle and at Tarbes. But she hadn't seen them die. She had never seen the corpses which her mind told her must have existed, but her heart ignored. And to walk up to a woman who was helpless, who could not defend herself, and cast a spell which would end her life? She couldn't do it. She just couldn't

But Fouquet had to die. Lawbreakers had to be punished. That was what the Rule of Steel which she had followed through her life told her. But now that she thought about it, there was an easier route. Something which her partner had recommended to her from the beginning.

So she lowered her wand, and looked at him. Somehow, his height seemed to loom over her as he looked out at the far end of the tent.

"I can't do it, Napoleon. Please, kill Fouquet for me."

Fouquet laughed as she heard those words.

"So that's your decision? The hero of Tristain who has killed so many is just a little girl after all!"

"S-shut up, you thief! You deserve it for all you have done! Now be quiet!"

She turned back to Napoleon. But then she saw a strange sadness in his eyes.

"Louise. Are you sure that's your decision?"

There was something wrong with his voice, Louise noted. It was almost as if she had failed him. But he had given her the choice, and she wouldn't change her mind. The Rule of Steel meant above all that she had to be mentally strong!

"Y-yes, I've decided. Napoleon, please. Kill Fouquet in my place."

Her partner closed his eyes for several seconds. Both Fouquet and Louise stared at him for several seconds. But then at last with a long, slow side, he sighed.

"Very well."

And his left hand moved to the sword which he carried out by his side. Louise couldn't help but notice how long he took as if he was trying to prolong it. His behavior at this point was so strange. He seemed… disappointed somehow.

His left hand grasped the sword and it began to glow. Ah, Louise thought. Those were the Gandalfr runes. Those ancient and mysterious inscriptions on his hand which showed the great power of the familiar she had summoned. But when Louise thought about it, she had never seen him use them. Perhaps he had when he had battled to attempt to save Henrietta. But all the same, perhaps she would suggest to him that he should use it more often and-

It was over in a flash. Louise did not even have time to think about raising her wand.

"What?"

There was a pain in her chest. And Napoleon stood in front of her. Something was wrong, Louise realized. She felt…strange. But what was it?

She looked down. That…was odd. The sword which Napoleon had drawn. It was now…in her stomach. Why? She wondered in a haze. What had happened?

"I could have sliced off your head and ended your life in a flash. But I couldn't do that. I need to instill upon this final lesson and how you got it wrong."

Her familiar's head stood above her. And a small feeling of rage began in Louise. She tried to speak, to say something to her familiar. But as she opened her mouth, she just coughed up blood. And she could see it beginning to spill from her stomach.

"In the end and after all these months we have spent together, you learned nothing, Louise. I am not your pet. I will not obey your orders just because they are given. And to top it off, you tried to run away from your destiny. You were born a Void Mage, possessing great power and ability. I had thought that you would have understood by now that those who possess such capabilities are more likely than not going to walk a path of blood.

If you had refused that path, and let her go, I would have understood. I would have been disappointed, but I would have done nothing. But instead of refusing a blood-soaked destiny, you tried to push it on someone else. And that was unforgiveable. Someone like you is no longer fit to be my partner."

Her familiar pulled the sword out, but concurrently Louise felt drained of all of her strength and power. The wand slipped out of her grasp as she fell on the ground. It rolled somewhere else. But now at that point, Louise's mental strength had returned. At minimum, she wanted to avenge her death.

"Napoleon…curse…you."

The wand rolled somewhere out of her grasp and she struggled to reach it. All strength had vanished from her legs. All she could do was crawl to her arms as she reached for it. She was a Void mage. If she had the power, the will, couldn't she do anything? She could kill Napoleon. She could heal herself and escape. All she needed was her wand. No, any wand would do it.

Her fingertips brushed against it as she succeeded. But then a boot kicked it away, and Louise saw it roll away and under the tent canvas. She attempted to wail in despair, but now all that came out of her mouth was more blood.

She felt her familiar kneel down beside her, and she feebly tried to punch him, kick him, do something to him as a last moment of retaliation. But her clumsy fist missed, and with barely any effort her familiar flipped her over onto her back.

"You know, I know I've already betrayed you, Louise. But all the same, I won't tolerate you betraying me. And if you were willing to give me such an order, then no doubt you would have gone back to treating me like your servant.

Goodbye, Louise. And thank you for summoning to this world. Always remember that you made this world better off since you summoned me instead of a normal human."

Betray, Louise thought? What did she mean by that? Or did he mean that the person who had sent that letter was-

She never had a moment to complete her sentence? With the practice born of a thousand battles, Napoleon slid his sword into Louise's heart. As the Void Mage gave a final convulsion as darkness overtook her, she felt her familiar kneel down beside her one more time as Fouquet began to laugh.


End file.
